Is God Real? - Part I

Hmmm.....where to start. Over the course of the past 2 years I guess you can say, I've talked to many different people. Christians, Muslims, Atheists, Agnostics, etc.

One question that generally gets asked from my side of things is “Why don't you believe in God?” Now depending on the group of people you ask – it leads to a different series of questions.

As for this post – it'll seem like I'm picking on the Atheists – but just see in the following posts how I'll pick on other people, including Christians.

A few main reasons I get answers from people why they don't believe in a God – and they know my Christian background, and/or they were brought up in a Christian/Catholic home I get answers like this:

• I don't believe in God because look at all the evil things the Catholic church has done over the years
• I don't believe in God because look at what Christians have done over the years – look at the Crusades, etc.
• I don't believe in God because how can a loving God send people to hell for eternity?

Now – this here isn't to defend against anything stated. Yes the Catholic church tortured the “protesters” aka protestants; yes the Catholic church controlled the world; yes the Catholic church has had priests over the years abuse people due to their “authority” and “power”.

First off – this wasn't God's doing. This was people's doing. There was a person in power of the church. There was a priest who again is a person. Again – this wasn't God's doing, this was people's doing. People who abused a power and decided to say “we're doing this in the name of God”. Is this right? Definitely not.

The Christian Crusades – UGH! Again, another thing that happened in history, again was this God's doing? No – again it was people's doing, announcing it in the name of God.

Does this make God the bad guy of the story, or people the bad guys? The Bible itself teaches that people are evil, yet the reason we don't believe in the God of the Bible is because he says people are evil, people say they're doing things in his name, yet do things that he wouldn't condone.

Did Jesus ever kill anyone? Yet Jesus stated He's the way.

So – who's commands were people following in the Crusades? Or in the Catholic Church?

Jesus even said – Matthew 7:22,23

Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works?   23  And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.

Jesus foretold of people who would do “wonderful works” in His name. He tells them – depart from me.

Jesus wants nothing to do with those types of people, in the same way that Atheists want nothing to do with those people – YET, people will then say “what about forgiveness”.

The point here is this – the people weren't seeking Jesus for forgiveness, they were confronting Him and saying – look at what we've done in your name. They didn't realize what they've done. Those past events that the Catholic Church and Christian church in general – have caused people to turn away from Jesus, to turn away from God.

Now – if you were to disregard the negative things that Catholics, or Christians have done over the years, what else is holding you back from believing in the God of the Bible?

Now – we have a third topic; which is: “I don't believe in God because how can a loving God send people to hell for eternity?

This 3rd topic – is more complex than you'd realize – and I'm going to dissect this for you, but I warn you – it may be a 2-3 part post.

With that said – I bid you all farewell for now.